Change = Constant

Let me share some thoughts about something I personally find hard to deal with.

Change. I believe this is one of the most crucial things for a leader. Going from Mahatma Gandhi’s “Be the change you want to see” to being the one to lead the change, one thing is for sure. You have to embrace change to have a better grip on the work that you do and to continue to have good energy around you. When we resist change, as I have often seen from my personal experiences, we actually create obstacles and try and slow down the inevitable out of fear more than anything else.

When Chennaigaga was a brick and mortar store, there was a certain vibe to it and a set of processes with a lot of in-person energy that made a huge difference to selling. When we moved online from December 2020, there were a lot of changes that were required from our side also. The brand had to lead the change and let go of the physical presence. Online stores are completely different from physical stores in that, the first glaring thing being no human contact or engagement. So we worked and reworked with limited resources and financial constraints, to make the website functional and simple for our customers. It took quite a while to gain stability with many of our loyal customers constantly asking us to at least open a small store or a studio office which they could visit. We could not make that happen, but we became more responsive and supplied a small collection to one physical store, in an attempt to bridge the gap. Now, online works well and as long as we are available on the phone via texts and calls for our customers, there is a good rapport rebuilt. Change transported us here.

We are working next on further changes, product additions and perhaps strategic pivots, to make our online retail journey even more meaningful.